As previously mentioned, I spend a lot of time telling kids that every sentence contains a verb. And that every prepositional phrase must start with a preposition. And that every sentence ends with some form of punctuation. And on and on and on (say that like the teacher on Charlie Brown). Now, I don't claim to have every rule and every tid bit of grammar down, but I like it. Yes, I like grammar. I like that it makes a person sound educated when they understand it even if they're not. I like that you can find hidden mistakes, like looking for Waldo, in published works. I like that I like it even though it's a logistical kind of "thing", and I'm terrible at anything to do with logistics. I like that I can tell my kids that I knew a guy that wasn't getting a promotion in a major corporation because his grammar was so poor. I just like it. It makes me happy.
As stated, I have a long ways to go. I constantly question my own grammar abilities because it's kind of my career. But then I ask myself, self I say, "Does a truck driver ever question the route he took? Does a carpenter ever cut the 2x4 too short? Does a mechanic ever order the wrong part? Does an engineer ... well, I don't know anything about them, so never mind. Does a doctor ... let's not go there. Does a photographer ever capture a picture with terrible lighting? Does a student ever fail a test?" Then myself tells me that the answer is Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Then I ask myself, "Do they then give up because of these mistakes?" No! No! No! No! And this is why I will write, and when I have it down to perfection, I will let you know. (Don't stand around waiting; your legs will surely get tired.)
In the mean time, when books like Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips come in the mail, I get happy. I even like Grammar Girl herself. It's nerdy, I know. But there are two reasons why I don't care about nerdiness. The first is that I spent junior high and high school working so hard not to be nerdy, and the other side is highly overrated and way too much work. The second is that it gives my husband funny jokes for his messages to students when he tells them that I like to read and that I even read grammar books. The students laugh and gasp and point. Do I care? No. Why? See reason number one!
Oh and by the way, I'm working to get my English department to order shirts that say "Good Grammar is Hot." Laugh. Joke. Point. Remember, your doing all of that at your computer. Who's the nerd now?
2 Comments:
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Monday, May 11, 2009 6:59:00 PM
I'm not going to be such a super-stalker that I actually comment on every post you make. I'm really going to quit soon. But it is so impossible for you to be nerdy that I just needed to let you know.Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:53:00 PMMy roommate who is also an English teacher bought this book! I found it for her at Barnes as kind of a joke and it stuck! Quick and Dirty...ah ahah
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